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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23981113">Cheer Up!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/reejunie/pseuds/reejunie'>reejunie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nekoma Academy [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Basketball Player Kuroo, Canon Divergence, Cheerleader Kenma, M/M, Nekoma Academy, Same Age Kuroken, VERY CANON DIVERGENCE, self-indulgent fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:28:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,971</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23981113</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/reejunie/pseuds/reejunie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>If Kenma was a cheerleader and Kuroo was a basketball athlete.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Nekoma Academy [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1729114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cheer Up!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kozume Kenma. No one would have guessed that he would become a cheerleader, not his parents, not his sister, not even his childhood best friend, Kuroo Tetsurou; though Kenma thinks it was quite apparent how he would take up cheerleading. Kuroo, since a child, has taken a liking to basketball, barging into Kenma’s room during his day naps to nag him to watch the latest match together. Kenma himself is not a big fan of said sport, but he likes how excited his best friend gets talking about his favorite sports and his favorite players and his favorite matches that Kenma was naturally drawn in. Kenma has always supported Kuroo throughout his basketball journey, and Kenma joining the cheerleading team just comes naturally.</p><p> </p><p>Cheerleading is hard, and he knows how tiring it is just by seeing his sister looking like a walking corpse in her days off after one of her brutal practices, but Kenma had made up his mind. He had started considering taking up cheerleading since elementary, and once they entered middle school, Kenma wasted no time in signing up for the team. </p><p> </p><p>You see, Kenma doesn’t like physical activities very much and would rather conserve his energy to focus on beating his games on his PSP. Getting used to cheerleading took a while for Kenma, but he was determined. Slowly, with the encouragement from his sister Kenma slowly falls into a comfortable pace with cheerleading. There are days where he would rather kill the person who ever invented cheerleading, if there was even anyone, but there are days where he enjoys the fruits of his efforts, like when he would see Kuroo smile at his cheers everytime he would score for their school. </p><p> </p><p>Now, they’re in highschool with the best basketball team, and coincidentally quite a well-known cheerleading squad (though Kenma thinks that it should be a given). Kuroo was more than happy to accept the sports scholarship and Kenma too, with his academy scholarship. Nekoma Academy was like no other school they have ever attended before. It is known for its prestige and reputation in both sports and academy. Many graduating students continue into University with a sport scholarship, with offers to play in the National Youth team. Academically, Nekoma is the top ranking school that has won countless research competitions and olympiads both nationally and internationally. With its name so well known throughout Japan, Kenma should have foreseen the intense training and draining classes that the academy would provide. </p><p> </p><p>Today is his off day, or well it was supposed to, until his phone rings, disrupting him from his well-earned sleep. Kenma groans as he picks it up, grumbling “What?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Well good morning to you too, sleeping beauty!” Of course it would be Oikawa. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma huffs, “It’s 10 AM, and I’m going back to sleep.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aww, don’t like that,” Oikawa coos. “Come with us, we’re sneaking into the boys’ practice for next weekend’s game!”</p><p> </p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can take a look at your boyf-”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not my boyfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not yet, he is,” and Kenma can <em> hear </em> the smirk in Oikawa’s tone. He regrets ever letting Oikawa know about his crush on Kuroo, it was just a stupid game of truth or dare too! </p><p> </p><p>Kenma grumbles, “Whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on, we’ll pick you up at your dorm!”</p><p> </p><p>“I never sai-” and the line was cut off. Kenma curses at his phone, glaring at it for all the reasons he could think of. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma has two options: he can go either a) back to sleep and have Oikawa barge into his room and drag him out, or b) get up, get ready and try not to kill Oikawa. Annoyed, Kenma decides that the second option would be better. He’d take getting ready himself in the peace and quiet of his room than have Oikawa here, nagging Kenma to take more care of his skin and the outfits he picks. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma gets out of his bed with a huff, and heads into the bathroom to freshen up. He picks up the first sweater he sees and changes his pajama pants into the first shorts on his clean laundry pile. He sighs, remembering that he still has to fold his clean laundry. He looks at his phone, 10.11. Oikawa would probably stop by the cafeteria first to grab Kenma something to eat so he still has another 10 minutes or so to spare. With a shrug, he starts on his chore. </p><p> </p><p>Just by the time he finishes folding his last laundry, he hears the ring on his doorbell. Kenma huffs, grabs his phone and heads out. </p><p> </p><p>“Morning! I got you your apple pie!”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks,” Kenma mumbles. Oikawa smiles. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on! Everyone should already be there by now.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma nods and follows after Oikawa, making sure to keep his distance because Oikawa likes to torture Kenma with more than the necessary physical contact a person needs. On the way, they talk about their classes, upcoming projects and plans to new their routine. Despite being only in second year, Kenma is already trusted with coming up with some of the routines, which means he has to work a lot with Oikawa (to his demise). Kenma does, however, feel exceptionally proud when the team can pull off the routines he choreographs seamlessly, though he would rather die than admit it aloud and have Oikawa know about it. </p><p> </p><p>Approaching the court, Kenma can hear the thumping of the ball bouncing against the hardwood floor and shoes skidding against the friction. He scrunches his nose knowing that the court would be filled with the smell of sweat. He hopes that Daichi doesn’t forget to open the windows to air out the room as he would usually. </p><p> </p><p>Oikawa being the boisterous human being that he is just can’t restrain himself from shouting his presence the moment he walks in, though it seems everyone has gotten used to his antics, not even fazed by his shouting. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m here!” shouts Oikawa and Kenma winces. “Kuroo-chan! I brought your boyfriend with me!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma’s eyes widen, hissing at Oikawa to shut up as he elbows his sides. On the court, Kuroo’s step falters and he loses both his balance and the ball in his grip, falling onto his face. Everyone in the gym winces at the sight. The impact makes such a loud sound Kenma feels sorry for his best friend as his teammates help him up. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma turns to Oikawa, fists clenching ready to attack his stupid captain, “You!” </p><p> </p><p>Oikawa steps back and reaches out his hand to stop Kenma, “In my defense, how was I supposed to know that your boyfriend was gonna do that?!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma slaps his hands away, and kicks Oikawa on his thigh seethingly. “He’s not my boyfriend!” he whispers harshly. Kenma walks away to Kuroo who is now seated on the bleachers, his teammates surrounding him. </p><p> </p><p>While it is true that Kenma and Kuroo were not <em> boyfriends </em> exactly, everyone knows that none of them are actually open to relationships. They are comfortable with each other, already promising to always stay together and never let go. With that said, they haven’t made it official and it probably frustrates everyone around them more than it does themselves. They enjoy where they are now and see no need to rush anything. Established such a relationship, it is quite hard to keep their hands from one another since they have agreed to not do anything if they are not in a relationship. The furthest they have ever gone is cuddling and holding hands, sometimes kisses on the cheeks at night, and sometimes Kenma wishes either him or Kuroo has the courage to take that first step, but he guesses they are much too shy to do that. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma sighs. </p><p> </p><p>Seeing that Kenma was approaching, Kuroo perks up. “Kenma!” stretching out his hand for Kenma to take.</p><p> </p><p>Kenma blushes and takes Kuroo’s hand, nodding at the rest of Kuroo’s teammates. Kuroo circles his arms around Kenma’s waist, drawing him closer. Kenma frowns at Kuroo’s split lip, reaching out to touch it. </p><p> </p><p>“Ah, that must’ve been from the fall,” Kuroo says sheepishly. Kenma huffs. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright boys. Kuroo’s fine, let’s continue the practice,” Daichi, the captain, says. “Kuroo you stay out for the rest of this round.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo nods and everyone walks back onto court as they greet Kenma. Kuroo directs Kenma to sit beside him and lets his head rest on Kenma’s shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>“You okay?” Kenma asks as he pats Kuroo’s crazy bed hair.</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo hums his reply, “Tired.”</p><p> </p><p>At the bottom of the bleachers, Kenma can’t see the rest of his teammates that are seated at the top, but he can hear them cooing at both him and Kuroo. He rolls his eyes. His cheer squad has gotten so used to teasing him about Kuroo that it should be considered bullying, really. </p><p> </p><p>“Kenma-kun!” Yachi greets from the entrance of the gym. Kenma raises his hand to greet her back. “Here, I got some ice and first aid kit. Thought you’d need it.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma thanks Yachi for being such a wholesome friend, better than the rest of his cheer squad would be anyways, gossiping so loudly behind his back. Especially Oikawa and Hinata, those wretched demons. He guesses he likes Akaashi and Shimizu best, well second after Yachi now, he decides.</p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo,” Kenma calls out. No response. </p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo,” he tries again. Still no response. He looks down at Kuroo to see that the boy is sleeping.</p><p> </p><p>Unbelievable. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo refused to wake up. Kenma guesses he must have been really tired from all the extra practice for the upcoming class. In the end, he had to ask Bokuto and Lev to help him move Kuroo back to his dorm, which is thankfully located just a block away from the gym. It was decided that Bokuto would piggy-back Kuroo from the gym to the front of the dorm complex, and Lev would carry him to his floor. Unfortunately for Lev, Kuroo’s complex is one of the old complexes that doesn’t have elevators yet, so they had to climb up the stairs to the third floor. Kenma thanks Lev and Bokuto for their help, promising them a treat next time they meet. </p><p> </p><p>Looking at Kuroo, all sprawled out on his bed, Kenma can’t help but let out a scoff. He remembers the multiple times Kuroo was so tired he would drop dead in any spot he was in and would only wake up once he felt hungry, and this just adds to the list. Kenma huffs and pulls off Kuroo’s shoes and attempts to change Kuroo’s clothes, but since the raven haired boy is built like a tank (which is unfair considering that both he and Kuroo are the same age) the effort only results in a shirtless Kuroo. </p><p> </p><p>Whatever, better than have a sweaty shirt clinging onto your skin.</p><p> </p><p>Kenma sighs and sits beside Kuroo on the bed. He pushes Kuroo’s hair out of his face to admire the face that he has come to love throughout the years. Kenma was maybe 14, last year of middle school when he realizes that Kuroo means more to Kenma than just a childhood best friend. He would do anything to keep seeing the smile in Kuroo’s face, even going out on days he would rather sleep to accompany Kuroo to their neighborhood court. </p><p> </p><p>The first time they met was probably just before elementary. Kuroo had just moved into the house beside theirs that had been empty for more than a year. That evening, Kuroo and his dad visited his house to offer as tradition would have it. Kenma’s mom invited them in for dinner and Kenma was introduced to Kuroo. </p><p> </p><p>It was his outrageous hair that got Kenma’s attention at first. They had spent time in front of the TV as Kenma’s mother finished preparing for dinner. Kuroo was a reserved little boy when they first met, barely saying anything, though Kenma notices that he would not stop talking about the things he finds interest in, and that being basketball. Kenma would always encourage Kuroo to share more about basketball, and sometimes Kenma wonders if it was a good thing or not. He had created a monster that would force Kenma to come out of his shell, but Kenma guesses they have a somewhat mutualistic relationship. They both bring something into the friendship, Kenma Kuroo’s courage to finally express himself more and more, and Kuroo Kenma’s anchor in social situations that Kenma finds to be burdening. Kenma likes it. They have each other’s backs. It’s reassuring in their own ways. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma shakes his head. He needs to walk back to his dorm. He really shouldn’t listen to Oikawa the next time he tells him to go out. He might just need to drag a sleeping Kuroo into his room again. Kenma huffs, writing Kuroo a note to remind him to eat once he wakes up and drink lots before leaving his room. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>It’s nearing the end of the day. Looking at his schedule, Kenma only has one more class to attend: Literature. God, how he wishes that class wasn’t a thing. It’s a compulsory class for second years, along with mathematics and history. He packs his books and heads to his locker to grab what he needs for the next class. Unlike the conventional Japanese school system, Nekoma Academy adopts the American style of moving classes. It’s bothersome and Kenma would much prefer to wait for his next class in his chair, especially with a school campus this big. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma remembers the first time he entered through the gate, he got lost. Kuroo argues that it’s partially his fault for not paying attention to his surroundings and focuses too much on his handheld. Kenma shrugs one shoulder as a counter argument. </p><p> </p><p>He sighs as he closes his locker and moves to his next class. He turns only to walk right into another person, his books falling. </p><p> </p><p>“Kenma! You should be careful!” Fucking Oikawa.</p><p> </p><p>Kenma rolls his eyes, “You should watch where you’re standing.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa shrugs and bends down to help Kenma gather his books.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want?” Kenma grumbles, picking up his pencil case before standing back up.</p><p> </p><p>“Well… You know the new uniform that Akaashi and I were talking about?”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma’s eyes widen, “You’re kidding. You actually did it?”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa gasped. “Of course! Why did you think I asked for your measurements?” He asked, offended.</p><p> </p><p>“Because I told you I need new shorts?” Kenma offers, knowing full well that Oikawa must have forgotten about it.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, right. Haha.” Oikawa scratches the back of his head sheepishly. “Well, either way! You’ll get your new uniform right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I never said yes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh come on!” Oikawa whines. “It would be so much fun! Don’t you dare say you won’t wear it ‘cause I know you’ve been eyeing them since forever!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma narrows his eyes into a glare. “How would you have known?”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa gives him his signature smile, the one that looks slimy and no good. Kenma hates it. “Oh that’s a trade secret, baby.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma huffs as he walks away, “Don’t call me that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright! Don’t forget to come to the club room once you’re done with your class!” Oikawa calls after him. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma rolls his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>Kenma knows this is a bad idea. He knows that he shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t slide open the door and just go back to his dorm and sleep, pretends that he doesn’t remember. Yet here he is, fists clenched because <em> damn it, Oikawa was right </em>. He does want to know what it would look like, how we would look in a cheer skirt. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma has been eyeing those cheer skirts since he was in his third year of middle school. He loves the way his older sister looks in her cheer uniform, complete with the skirt, pom pom and bows, but Kenma was a boy and they gave him shorts, <em> booty shorts </em> , which was just bullshit and Kenma <em> hates </em> booty shorts. Booty shorts are not fun. They would ride up your ass and much more of a hassle to wear than a simple skirt. Of course he would wear booty shorts underneath the skirt, but he wouldn’t have to worry about them being his only piece of clothing that would secure his privacy and dignity. </p><p> </p><p><em> Curiosity kills the cat </em> , and Kenma is so sure he would be murdered for his curiosity. Oikawa would not let him escape without wearing the new uniform set, <em> especially </em> after he comes to take a look. </p><p> </p><p><em> Whatever </em>. </p><p> </p><p>He exhales his nerves, and slides the door open. Inside he is greeted by the full team, most of them already wearing their uniforms. They look great. The new uniform has the exact same design as their old one, but with some upgrades. The linings are added with a fabric that reflects the light each time the wearer makes a move. That would make their movements look bigger, more energetic. The sleeves are still full cover, but the lines along the biceps have changed, it looks bolder, accentuating each movement the arms would make; and the skirts are cute. They aren’t ones that presses onto your body, but rifles with each movement you would make. </p><p> </p><p><em> It’s cute </em> , Kenma thinks. <em> Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Well, at least not until Oikawa decides to break his small, happy bubble. </p><p> </p><p>With a shriek Oikawa greets Kenma, engulfing him in a hug.”You came! I knew you would! Come on, you have to try it on!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma rolls his eyes, “Get off me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Right!” Oikawa drags him to the other side of the room, where he takes up a new set labelled Kenma. “This is yours!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma frowns, looks at it and debates whether he should take it or not. Oikawa rolls his eyes and grabs Kenma’s hand for him to hold his uniform. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on! Try it on!” Oikawa says. <em> Too cheerful </em>, Kenma winces. </p><p> </p><p>“You’d look cute in it, Kenma-kun,” Yachi says from her locker. She’s already wearing her set, and she’s putting on her bow to see how it would look as a full set. “I know so, ‘cause I designed it!”</p><p> </p><p>“You did?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Mh-hm!” Yachi says enthusiastically.Kenma sighs and moves to remove his bag from his shoulder. Oikawa looks far too pleased at himself, and Yachi gives him an encouraging smile. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma moves to the changing stalls, and opens the plastic. He takes out his uniform and holds it in front of him. It’s cute. It’s really cute. He wonders what Kuroo would think if he sees Kenma in this new uniform. Weirded out? Disgusted? Shocked? Happy? Excited? Kenma blushes at his thoughts and hurries to take his clothes off to try on his new outfit. </p><p><br/>
As he finishes zipping up his top, he hears Hinata barging into the room with his usual shameless loudness, which was greeted as shamelessly by Oikawa. Kenma winces as he folds his uniform, already feeling the headache that would attack him once he’s out of this zoo. It’s almost impressive how both Oikawa and Hinata can be louder than an entire crowd of cheers from people that would support their basketball team at games. Kenma guesses it’s a good thing, their cheers would still be heard, but it is exhausting to hear every other time. Kenma thanks the gods that Noshinoya decided he would take up tennis over cheerleading. He doesn’t know how he would survive if all three of them are in the same vicinity. </p><p> </p><p>Sighing for what feels like the millionth time this afternoon, Kenma makes sure he didn’t leave anything behind before he opens the curtain and steps out. He makes his way to his bag to place his things inside. </p><p> </p><p>“You look good,” Akaashi says from beside him, also putting his uniform into his bag. </p><p> </p><p>“You do,” Shimizu agrees from her locker, just to his left. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma blushes. Both Akaashi and Shimizu don't like idle chats, and would prefer to talk only the necessary amount, much like Kenma; so both of them complimenting Kenma in the new uniform flustered him a bit. </p><p> </p><p><em> Huh, maybe it’s not that bad </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Until Hinata screeches and comes barreling down towards Kenma. “Kenma! You look amazing!”</p><p> </p><p>OIkawa is smug, “I told you!”</p><p> </p><p>“Kenma-kun! I’m glad you’re wearing it! It looks great on you!” Yachi joins, which is followed by the rest of the squad. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma does look good, and he <em> feels </em> good, confident. The skirt is high-waisted and stops just above his midthigh, showing off his lean legs, muscles built up throughout the years of tumbling and flying. His top covers quite a lot of skin and only lets a sliver of his torso be seen when he would raise his hands. It does, however, hug his figure quite tightly, albeit not so much that it is uncomfortable. Kenma guesses he must have grown leaner and slimmer since now he can see his waist curving in, accentuated by the flare of the skirt. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma has never felt more timid before. He just wants to take his oversized jacket, which is usually Kuroo’s, and drown himself in it. Kenma doesn’t prefer to be at the center of attention, and would prefer to just watch. Even with cheerleading. It’s not a solo effort, everyone moves as one, synchronized to each other. </p><p> </p><p>After everyone is changed into their own outfits, Oikawa claps his hand a couple of times to gather everyone’s attention.</p><p> </p><p>“All right you guys! As you know, the game that will start the season and our semester starts this weekend. You should also know that the pep rally is tomorrow, so…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh no. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I was thinking we should wear this starting then, for the rest of the season! So make sure to wash it tonight and put it in the dryer so it’ll be dry by tomorrow!”</p><p> </p><p>Well, <em> shit </em>. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>It’s 15 minutes until the pep rally and Kenma only wants to go home and suffocate himself inside his blanket burrito. He knows that he would have to wear the new uniform eventually, but he wasn’t planning to wear it so near in the future, like <em> right now </em> . He spent all night worrying himself to death, barely sleeping and ironing the new uniform very, <em> very </em> carefully. Usually on the day of the pep rally, the cheerleaders would wear their uniform all day to pick up the excitement, but since Oikawa wants the reveal at the actual pep rally, he decides that they would just wear their old uniforms, which Kenma is grateful for. Any time he can afford to mentally prepare himself, he’ll take. </p><p> </p><p>Yachi is putting on the last details of makeup for Kenma, dabbing a little red on his lips before applying gloss on top of it. He doesn’t usually do his hair, but since they decided to match the whole team, he does his hair half-up half-down and a bow adorning the crown of his head.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re done, Kenma-kun!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma thanks Yachi and grabs his pom poms before joining Akaashi. He guesses talking to him could calm his nerves. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Kenma says shakily. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi nods in acknowledgement. “Nervous?”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma gulps and nods. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi turns to him and holds his shoulders, “Hey, you can do this.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma exhales nervously and nods again. It feels almost mechanical now. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi frowns but nods nonetheless, letting go of Kenma. “You know you could have told Oikawa you didn’t want to wear the new uniform.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we wouldn’t be matching,” Kenma grumbles timidly, looking at his feet. </p><p> </p><p>Akaashi snorts and reaches his hand to pat Kenma’s head. “Well then, don’t make a fuss now.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma glares at him.</p><p> </p><p>“5 minutes!” Shimizu shouts. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma gulps, and Akaashi takes his hand. “You can do this,” Kenma nods. “Plus, I think a certain <em> someone </em> will enjoy this too much,” Akaashi adds, making Kenma blush.</p><p> </p><p>Kenma groans and pushes Akaashi away. “Shut up.”</p><p> </p><p>“All right, team! Let’s go!”</p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>The pep rally, as usual, is held at the field in front of the school. It is the only place where all the athletes from different sports can gather, while at the same time having more of their students cheer from their classes. It’s a big space, and that somehow clams Kenma downs a little. It feels less suffocating. </p><p> </p><p>“So, everyone remembers the rundown?” Oikawa asks them as they hide behind the side of the building. </p><p> </p><p>Everyone nods. </p><p> </p><p>All athletes have been gathered in the field, and the principal and the head of the sports department would give their speeches first before the cheerleading team would be called up. They would run in, hype up the crowd a little, and start their performance. It’s one of their most famous routines, and now it’s almost tradition to do it to open every season. </p><p> </p><p>As usual, the speech given by the principal was the same: bring back honor and pride, do not forget your colors and where you are from, make us proud. Kenma rolls his eyes at the words. Everyone claps respectfully at the end of his speech. Then the head of the sports department steps on the podium and finishes his speech, keeping it concise and motivational. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma’s heart starts to beat faster. <em> Anytime now </em>. </p><p> </p><p>“And now, for the Nekoma Cheer Team, Little Devils!”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa starts their cheer, and everyone runs out. As Kenma rushes out following his teammates, all his nervousness seems to fade away. That’s also one of the things he loves about cheerleading, the adrenaline and the hype is addicting. Once Kenma gets in the zone, he can do this all day long. At the same time, he makes eye contact with Akaashi and nods at him, smiling. </p><p> </p><p>As they ran out and into the crowd, everyone started cheering, a few whistling was heard. All in good spirits. The band starts playing to help elevate the vibe. There are some tumbling done, little jumps and hella cheering done before they take their spots to start their routine. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma walks to his spots, takes his stance and looks up. His breath halts and he can hear his heart beating too loudly against his chest because at that moment, right in front of him, stands Kuroo. The rest of his teammates were nudging him, ruffling his hair teasingly, but Kuroo doesn’t seem to react, his gaze focused on Kenma. </p><p> </p><p>Then the music starts, and Kenma smirks. He feels <em> good </em>. God, he hates it when Oikawa is right.</p><p> </p><p>This exact routine doesn’t need them to change their positions too much, so many of this routine Kenma spends locking his gaze straight at Kuroo, making sure to add a little bit of a wink and lip bites. Kenma can see Kuroo’s body progressively tense as Kenma continues on with the routine. Kenma smiles smugly. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>Everyone runs back to their club room with cheers, in high spirits. Everyone congratulates one another, and they cool down with their team cheer. </p><p> </p><p>One by one, everyone starts to filter out of the room, and Kenma moves to his locker. He rummages through his bag bag, searching for his phone. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> 1 new message.  </em>
</p><p><em> Kuroo Tetsurou </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma’s heart skips a beat. He opens the message.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’ll wait for you by the school gate. I’ll walk you back to your dorm. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Kenma blushes.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, well…” Oikawa lulls teasingly. “Looks like someone is going to have fun tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma groans. “That’s considered an invasion of privacy, and stop pressing against my ass.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa only laughs, stepping back from Kenma’s personal space. “Well what are you still doing here? Lover boy is waiting for you!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma rolls his eyes and huffs amusedly. “Will you be alright locking up the club room yourself?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah… Is my favorite pudding finally caring about?” Oikawa teases. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma glares, “If not, then I’ll be going.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa laughs and stretches his hand to wave Kenma goodbye. “Have fun!’</p><p> </p><p>Walking out of the club room, Kenma rummages through his bag to find his uniform blazer and puts it on him to cover himself from the cold. He would have changed to his uniform, but he needs to wear it tomorrow, since it's his last clean set, and he forgot to wash his uniform <em> again </em> and he’s sweaty. It’s not because he wants to see the reaction of a certain someone up-close, definitely not. Never that. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma walks out to the front field of their school and towards the gate where he can see Kuroo leaning against one of the pillars, tapping away on his phone. Kenma coughs to get his attention and Kuroo looks up, eyes widening again, and coughs. </p><p> </p><p>“Kenma!” he says, voice a pitch too high. Kenma scoffs as Kuroo scratches the back of his head sheepishly. </p><p> </p><p>The wind picks up, and Kenma shivers slightly. Kuroo frowns, taking off his team jacket to give Kenma. “Here.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma takes it hesitantly, “You sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“You need it more than I do it seems,” Kuroo nods. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma blushes and mutters a small thanks as he puts it on. There is tension as Kuroo stares Kenma down in his jacket that falls just above where Kenma’s skirt ends, engulfing his small frame. They spend a heartbeat in suspense, erupting butterflies in Kenma’s stomach as he notices Kuroo blushes. </p><p> </p><p>Then as a telltale they should be going, the wind picks up again. Kuroo coughs to break the tension and offers his hand, “Shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma looks down to cover his face with his hair, forgetting that it’s still tied up. He curses himself as he takes Kuroo’s hand and falls in step with the taller male. </p><p> </p><p>Once they start to move, Kuroo begins his usual chatter which Kenma would nod along to. Adding some witty remarks and sarcasm every now and then. The night is still young, and the stars aren’t all out yet, but the moon is full and it shines its soft light on Kuroo. Kenma can’t help but stare, appreciating the way that the light reflects on Kuroo’s ridiculously messy raven hair. It dances freely with the breeze. His eyes are animated as he tells Kenma their plans for their next play, his grey irises twinkles with excitement and anticipation. </p><p> </p><p>It is at this moment, that Kenma finally realizes that his feelings are bigger than he had ever let on. </p><p> </p><p><em> He is in love </em>. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>Finally. It’s the day of the game. They’re lucky this year, starting the season with a home game, putting them at an advantage with their supporting crowd. There will be more cheers for their team, encouraging their players to play better, and they would need the best support they can have this season. </p><p> </p><p>As usual, on the day of the game, the cheerleader team would need to wake up extra early to prepare themselves and the props they would need. It’s also tradition that they would greet the coming team at the front gates with the band. Everyone is running in and out of the club room making sure they have everything they need in place, rushing over to the nurse’s office to grab a first aid kit, carrying their pom poms out and their flags. </p><p> </p><p>It’s 10 AM and the opposing team is getting off their buses along with their cheerleader squad. The air is tense and everyone holds their breaths. Their first game of the season is Shiratorizawa Academy, their rival. </p><p> </p><p>Nekoma and Shiratorizawa are known for their neck-to-neck competition ever since the two academies were founded. It was also rumored that the founding chairs of the two academies were rivals in business, always aiming to best one another. Now, the tension is still palpable in the air, and the air of competitiveness is almost suffocating. Kenma sees the way the players are sizing one another, sees the way Kuroo’s jaws tenses and fist clenches as their head of the sports department makes his welcoming speech. </p><p> </p><p>Since it’s the opening game of the season, this would determine whether the team would proceed to the next round, which is quite daunting. Whoever was the panelist that decided on this season start-up was sadistic. They would usually start with Nekoma and Shiratorizawa on opposing blocks, where they would usually meet at the finals. When the news broke out that Shiratorizawa was going to play Nekoma first, and not just in basketball, but soccer and volleyball as well, it brought forth a multitude of reactions. While many are happy that they would have the chance to try for the finals position, some are opposed that the two best teams in Japan are against one another from the get go. Nekoma also forwarded this complaint, but since it was not mutually agreed with Shiratorizawa, they’re here.</p><p> </p><p>Nekoma has held their title as number one for 9 years now, and if they proceed to win at finals and go through to nationals, they would hold their title for a full decade. It’s a status that no one wants to lose, and this game would be detrimental to the rest of the season. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma remembers the conversation he had with Kuroo the night after the pep rally.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Kuroo,” Kenma stops Kuroo amidst his rambling.</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo humse, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you nervous?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course I am,” Kuroo says way too cheerfully, making Kenma wince. “We’ll be playing Shiratorizawa. We’ll be playing against <em> Ushijima </em>. Oh! Don’t forget Tendou! They’re crazy good.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma frowns, “Then…”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll be fine,” Kuroo replies, smiling down at Kenma as he holds his hand tighter. “We’ve practiced for this!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma’s frown still hasn’t dissipated. Kuroo sighs, rubbing at the space between Kenma’s brows to ease his frown, “We’ll win. We know we will.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma bites his bottom lip and nods. He lets go of Kuroo’s hand and takes off a keyring from his bag’s zipper. “Here.”<br/>
<br/>
Kuroo’s eyes widen, “But this is…”<br/>
<br/>
“My charm. For you. For your game.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo blinks and laughs as he takes Kenma in a hug. He takes the charm from Kenma’s grip, “Alright!”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo holds the charm to the sky, against the moonlight. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make sure we win,” he says with conviction. Kenma can’t help but smile.</p><p> </p><p>Back in the field, the speeches have just been delivered, and both coaches from respective teams share a handshake before they move to the gym. </p><p> </p><p>Now it starts. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>The referee blows the whistle and the game starts. The cheerleaders stand at the edge of opposing courts as they try to hype the crowd to support their team. The first quarter comes and goes with a tie. Kuroo sits at his bench, gulping down on his drink and Kenma wishes he could go up to him and cheer him up, but that would break his zone and their team can’t afford that right now. Kuroo is having his good days today. He has scored a total of 5 points in the first quarter just by himself.</p><p> </p><p>The whistle blows again and the second quarter plays. It’s a lot more intense. Kenma can feel his adrenaline pick up and his heart beats faster as he cheers along with the rest of the school. Once in a while, Oikawa would lead them to their original chants. </p><p> </p><p>Now, Daichi has the ball. They’re in the offense. Shiratorizawa’s defense is good, <em> really good </em>. With tendou under the ring, it’s become more of a problem as the game proceeds and Tendou’s guard intensifies. It’s almost half time, and Nekoma is down by a point. If they can shoot a score, they would be in the lead by one. If they can shoot a three-pointer, they would be in the lead by two, but as Daichi takes his position to shoot at the three-point mark, Goshiki steals their ball. Everyone holds their breath, there is only two minutes left and if Shiratorizawa makes this goal, they would need to pull a miracle to catch up before the half-time mark. </p><p> </p><p>As Goshiki runs up the court, he takes up the far side of the court. Kuroo catches up fast, and as Goshiki jumps to throw his score, Kuroo is right in front of him. Kenma cheers. Though it seems that the jump was a decoy as Goshiki passes the ball to Ushijima who is suddenly in front of Kenma. His eyes widen in shock at the sudden proximity of the Shiratorizawa player. Kenma misses the warning shout from Oikawa and he gets slammed to the side as Ushijima pivots and jumps out of bounds to shoot a three-point goal and avoid guards simultaneously. </p><p> </p><p>Ushijima scores and Kenma’s body falls to the floor with a thump. He hits his head against the side of the bleachers and groans. Everyone gasps and he can hear Kuroo screaming his name. His head hurts and his limbs feel weak. He feels someone move Kenma and takes off the bow in his head. It must be Yachi. There’s another person taking the pom poms away from his grip.</p><p> </p><p>Kenma tries to open his eyes and glances up to see Kuroo grabbing Ushijima by the collar, expression seething with anger. Bokuto and Lev are trying to tear Kuroo off of Ushijima and Kenma tries to tell Kuroo to stop, but his head feels so heavy. </p><p> </p><p>He closes his eyes and lets the darkness engulf him. </p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>Kenma tries to open his eyes as his head throbs painfully. He struggles to fight against the heaviness of his lid and blinks his eyes open. Looking around the room, someone must have moved him to his dorm. Staring straight ahead at the digital clock opposite his bed, he can see that it’s 8 at night. Damn, how long was he knocked out for. He tries to sit up but his head pounds ever harder. He grimaces and he feels someone move beside him. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, hey. Don’t move so suddenly. You’re lucky you didn’t get a concussion.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma winces as he moves, pressing a hand against his head. He notices that his head is wrapped in a bandage. </p><p> </p><p>“Kuroo?”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo hums in reply. Kenma sighs, head feeling too heavy to move to the side and look at Kuroo. Kenma closes his eyes and remembers what happens. He took an impact from Ushijima, him being the tall tree and built like a tank that he is, there is no wonder that Kenma took most of the injury. Was he too close to the side of the court? He must’ve been. Too engrossed at the game, he didn’t realise he was stepping closer. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma worries his bottom lip between his teeth. “Kuroo?”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” the other whispers. </p><p> </p><p>“Did you…” Kenma trails off. </p><p> </p><p>“Win?” Kuroo asks with a smile. “Yeah, we did.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma lets a sigh escape. He wasn’t sure how Kuroo would take it if they had lost because of him. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo frowns, “What for?”</p><p> </p><p>“For getting in the way,” Kenma replies timidly. </p><p> </p><p>Kuroo shakes his head and presses a gentle kiss against Kenma’s forehead. “That wasn’t your fault,” he says, caressing the side of Kenma’s face. </p><p> </p><p>“But…”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Kuroo interrupts. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma looks up at Kuroo. He bites his lip still, but he nods. Kuroo sighs as he moves Kenma’s hair away from his face. </p><p> </p><p>“Ushijima should’ve said sorry,” Kuroo starts, fists clenching on the blanket surrounding Kenma. “Fucking dickhead.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma frowns and moves his hand to hold Kuroo’s. “Hey,” Kuroo looks down, “don’t be like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“The bastard <em> ran </em> into you, and had the audacity to say that <em> you </em> were in the way,” Kuroo seethes. “Him, and his superiority complex. Just because he was deemed the best player in all of Japan,” Kuroo says through clenched teeth. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma snorts. “Well, isn’t that something you two have in common?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Kuroo gasps. “How dare you?” he asks incredulously. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma rolls his eyes and smiles. He looks up at Kuroo’s face and frowns again, seeing the split lip and a small bruise against his jaw. Kenma reaches up to touch it gently, making sure not to put too much pressure on it. </p><p> </p><p>“What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo sighs, taking Kenma’s hand and kissing his palm. He intertwines both their hands, “Daichi had to punch me to get me back to focus. I was apparently too angry and accumulated too many fouls that Daichi had to punch me and bench me to cool me down.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma frowns deeper. He takes both his hands to hold Kuroo’s face and lead him down. He kisses the bruise softly, before moving to Kuroo’s lips and kissing the wound. Kuroo’s breath hitches, and Kenma freezes. He hadn’t exactly thought about what he was doing, he just <em> moved </em>. </p><p> </p><p>They both know they have feelings for the other, and they both know it’s mutual. Yet, neither have ever made any move. Kenma quickly releases Kuroo’s face and moves to cover his face and apologize but he is interrupted by Kuroo holding him down and kissing him. The kiss is soft, but passionate. They’re channeling their love, need, want into this moment and Kenma can’t help but giggle. </p><p> </p><p>Kuroo moves to break the kiss, smiling against his lips. “What’s so funny?” he pecks Kenma’s lips. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothing,” Kenma giggles again. </p><p> </p><p>Kuroo hums and leaves pecks against Kenma’s lips a few more times, “You sure?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s just…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hm?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s funny how it takes me getting my head bashed against the bleachers for us to kiss. For you to kiss me,” Kenma laughs softly.</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo groans and hides his face on the crook of Kenma’s neck and Kenma laughs into his hair. They spent a few seconds like that, enjoying each other’s warmth in their hold. Kuroo is the first to break away and places his forehead against Kenma’s.</p><p> </p><p>“God, I was so afraid,” Kuroo whispers into the space between them. “Your head was <em> bleeding </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma sighs and holds Kuroo’s face, caressing it. “I’m fine now.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma pulls Kuroo down to an embrace, and realizes something. “How long have you been here?” he asks, pushing Kuroo away to face him.</p><p> </p><p>“After the game ended, I ran here. Yachi and Akaashi were taking care of you. I told them they could rest after I came, and they told me what I needed to do,” Kuroo replies. “Oh, and I borrowed your bathroom to shower, hope you don’t mind,” Kuroo continues sheepishly. </p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t go with the rest of the team? They must’ve had a celebratory dinner.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo hums, “Nah. You are more important. I needed to see that you were okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma huffs, “God, I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo widens his eyes and laughs, “I love you too, kitten.” Kenma blushes.</p><p> </p><p>(^-人-^)</p><p> </p><p>The following week is followed by Kenma missing Kuroo. A lot. Since it’s the start of the season, Kuroo would be away more often than not to represent their school in matches, and since Kenma still needs to recover, Oikawa forced him to stay behind (“No way I’m having you by the court. You still need to recover.”). </p><p> </p><p>They still talk, messaging each other throughout the day. They agreed to try being boyfriends and see how things go from there, and so far it has been the best feeling Kenma has ever felt. There are barely any differences to how they treat one another, but now Kenma can kiss Kuroo, which he thinks is definitely a perk to dating the raven-haired boy (though he would rather die than admit it aloud). Kuroo kisses like Kenma means the universe to him, and it’s hard to not get lost in the sensation of Kuroo holding him. Kenma has never felt more secure and warm and <em> at home </em> than in Kuroo’s embrace. </p><p> </p><p>Today, Kuroo would come back earlier than usual since there is only one game scheduled for the day. So Kenma decides to wait for him in front of the field with a hot chocolate Kuroo loves so much. Kenma dresses up in his pajama pants and Kuroo’s sweater and heads out to meet them. It’s not yet night, but Kenma has nothing else planned for the day so he figures wearing his pajamas at this time is acceptable. He’s only going to spend the rest of the in bed anyways, preferably cuddling with Kuroo. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma sees the bus approaching and walks out to greet them. Oikawa is the first to jump out and hug Kenma. </p><p> </p><p>“Kenma! I’ve missed you!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma is engulfed in a flurry of brown hair and white and red, the colors of their cheer uniform. He sees a nest of orange hair approaching and braces himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Kenma!” Hinata shrieks and joins in to hug Kenma. </p><p> </p><p>“Ugh you guys are heavy,” Kenma groans, he scrunches his nose, “and smelly.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa laughs and Hinata gasps, “You’re so mean!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma rolls his eyes, “I’m not wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the cheer squad come to greet Kenma, asking him about his recovery. He tells them that he has been diligent in going to check ups with the school nurse and she said he could join them at the next practice this weekend, though he should refrain from doing too many flying stunts at the moment. Oikawa nods and takes it into consideration. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, our cheer competitions start in June, so you’ll be fine. We’ll have more than enough time to get in sync again,” Oikawa says. “Oh, I’m just so glad that you’re okay!”</p><p> </p><p>Kenma huffs. “Thanks… and I’m sorry for worrying you all.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be like that Kenma-kun!” Yachi adds, “we’re just happy you’re able to join us again. We’ve missed you so much! You have no idea how hard Oikawa is to deal with without you.”</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa complains at Yachi but Kenma doesn’t hear. He is dragged away into a kiss he has missed throughout the week. Kenma smiles into the kiss and circles his arms around Kuroo’s neck, deepening the kiss. He hears Kuroo sighs and Kenma giggles, breaking the kiss. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve missed you,” Kuroo says, pecking Kenma’s lips. </p><p> </p><p>Kenma hums, “I’ve missed you too.” He moves to step away from Kuroo. “I brought you something. Here.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo’s face lights up once he opens the thermos and smells the hot chocolate, “My favorite!” He hurries to close it again and kisses Kenma once more. </p><p> </p><p>You see, there aren’t many things that make Kenma lose his attention to his surroundings. The first is his games, the second is his apple pie, and now Kuroo has just been added to the list as Kenma finally realizes that they’re not alone. </p><p> </p><p>“They’re kissing right?” Kenma hears Bokuto ask. Kenma freezes and finally remembers that they have an audience. </p><p> </p><p>“They’re definitely kissing,” he hears Bokuto say again. “Right?” Bokuto adds hesitantly. </p><p> </p><p>Kuroo tightens his hold around Kenma’s waist and groans, breaking the kiss. He shields Kenma away from everyone else, allowing Kenma to hide his blush against Kuroo’s chest. </p><p> </p><p>“Piss off, Bo.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean piss off? You’ve finally gathered enough courage to ask him out?” Bokuto shrieks.</p><p> </p><p>Oikawa squeals and claps. “Finally!” Kenma rolls his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Daichi decides to step up before a bigger commotion ensues. “Alright! Nothing new to see. Same old. Keep a move on,” he orders. As he motions the rest of the team to leave, Daichi passes Kuroo and Kenma and conveys his congratulations. Which is followed by the rest of the cheerleader team, each happier than the last.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, they’re left alone. In the wrm hue of the sunset, Kenma finally sighs, taking Kuroo’s hand into his own. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” he greets. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey back.”</p><p> </p><p>“I missed you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Missed you too,” Kuroo says with a smile. </p><p> </p><p>“And I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>Kuroo’s smile brightens. “I love you too,” he says as he moves to kiss Kenma again before he is stopped by his captain orders to help the rest of the team if he still wants to play the rest of the season. </p><p> </p><p>Kuroo groans, kissing Kenma’s forehead as Kenma scoffs. They break apart and link their hands together. </p><p> </p><p>It’s their first day of many to come, and Kenma can’t be happier. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! Thank you so much for reading! This really was just a self-indulgent fic that I wrote in a couple of days. I really hope you like this as this will be turned into a series: Nekoma Academy. </p><p>Please look for more updates of this alternate universe!</p><p>Much love,<br/>Reen</p></blockquote></div></div>
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